


Exhibit and Unveil

by darkrogue1 (Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse)



Series: Mister Zero, Crocodile Master [3]
Category: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Collection, Gen, I'm taking a stance on The Original Faceless Man's identity, It won't happen like this, Mention of Suicide Attempt, Mister Zero Crocodile's wishful thinking, Potential spoilers of the epic kind, Setting up for Nightingale whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 17:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12916368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse/pseuds/darkrogue1
Summary: Drabbles. Follows The Summit of Their Art : as his work is telling, the Faceless Man doesn't know how to expose it.





	1. Bad idea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alexiel-neesan (alyyks)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alyyks/gifts).



> Please, please stop the Nightingale whumping. Please let him run with his stars and enjoy life's beauty. Please let him live a long happy time in a fullfilling relationship with the partner of the gender and sexual orientation of his choice. Preferably Peter.  
> (And I don't mean the soul-splitting artificial happy either).

"What happened to Hugh Oswald?" Lesley asked.

  
"Broke his staff, still lives in Herefordshire for all I know." Faceless answered. "He hasn't seen it. After the war... I couldn't cope. I chose the easy way out and failed. Took the opportunity to disappear and start again. A blank slate." He showed his mask. "I only started to paint it after that, as a hobby. It took that long, raising little crocodiles is a full time work. Besides Hugh is old now ... maybe he shouldn't be the first one to know either... sending it by mail... it seemed a bad idea."


	2. Bad feeling

Lesley tells him of Peter's project to reunite the families at Casterbrook, to see the names Nightingale carved, the honored dead. She suggests to expose the painting on that occasion: all the interested parties would be there, reminiscing, the shock would be lessened.

  
Faceless pictures people fussing over Oswald in a wheelchair, making sure he is all right. He remembers Nightingale's face sending him in the ambulance. His face, ordering him in the glider. He imagines a lone figure standing in the background as the painting unveils, suddenly clutching his chest.

  
He says : "I have a bad feeling about this."


	3. Impossible dreams

He could be there too.

It would take planning, they'd need to arrange a truce. Immunity for a day?

He could unveil his work himself, reclaim his past for a few moments.

He tries to guess Nightingale's reaction, seeing him arrive.

He would recognise him.

He would.

Hope would be good, sadness and joy. Faceless hopes it wouldn't be disappointment.

He dreams of impossible things instead, of Nightingale's love and forgiveness, of approaching him unseen, catching him unaware, hugging him from behind, murmuring in his ear:

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

And Thomas would whisper: "David."


End file.
